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Friday, April 8, 2016

Wallow in Wonder Day 8 - Why Can't You Drive as Fast as You Want?

Welcome to Day 8 of Wallow in Wonder! For my 2016 National Poetry Month project, I will celebrate learning and writing from learning, writing poems from each daily Wonder at Wonderopolis. As I did with my Dictionary Hike in 2012, I am looking to surprise myself with new inspiration daily. This year, such inspiration will show up in my inbox each morning. I will print it and carry each Wonderopolis Wonder around all day...and in the afternoon or evening, I will write and post the poem for the next day.

I invite anyone who wishes to take this challenge too. Just read today's wonder over at Wonderopolis, and write a poem inspired by it for tomorrow. Share it tomorrow at your own site, and if you wish to link in my comments for others to find (or share your poem there), please feel free to do so tomorrow, the day after the Wonder is published at Wonderopolis. If you would like to share any ways you have used Wallow in Wonder or your own site (safe for children only please), please link to the #WallowInWonder padlet.

Students - I value kindness more than anything else. And even though this is true, sometimes I say mean things. But poetry helps me be kinder, and so do songs. Sometimes I think that poems and songs are like little kindness limit signs for me, just like in the picture you see above.

Writing can sometimes help us remember who we want to be. I want to be kinder. What do you want to be? You may wish to write about that thing. Not only will it be interesting writing; it may help you reach your own goal.

Today's poem does rhyme. What do you notice about the rhyming words in this one? And meter-wise, some of you may notice that the last line has many fewer syllables than the others. Why do you think so?

My friend Barry Lane writes many beautiful songs about kindness, and sometimes I am lucky enough to work with him on bits and pieces of them. Teachers - if you are interested in teaching about good character from a pro-kindness standpoint rather than an anti-bullying standpoint, read Barry's teacher book about working and teaching toward kindness, FORCE FIELD FOR GOOD.

One of my favorite songs from this album is "Sammy Miller." You can listen to it below.

Remember - words change us. And words change the people around us too. We make our own limits.

Today's poem may be partly inspired by Deciding Now from two days ago. There are times when my writing keeps me on a theme for a bit. We will see if this continues.

You can read another poem inspired by Wonder #1664 if you visit Wonder Lead Ambassador, literacy advocate, teacher, and writer Paul Hankins at his Wonder Ground blog where he, too, is writing daily poems from Wonderopolis wonders. He and I are in this together daily and some other writers are joining in on the fun sometimes too. All are welcome to wonder through poems with us.

Today, should you leave a comment, you will be entered into a giveaway generously offered by Barry Lane - 3 Barry CDs to one winner, and I will draw the name on Sunday evening. Please be sure to leave a way to contact you. Thank you, Barry!

I am so happy to be hosting middle school teacher and librarian Stefanie Cole and her students from Ontario, Canada to Sharing Our Notebooks this month. Do not miss this post; it is full of notebook inspiration, a video clip, and a great book giveaway from Stefanie.

This is a great poem. Each morning I send out a poem to everyone in our school. (I work at a primary school that is K-4 to 2nd grade) I just had to send this to them to share with classes and for themselves. Thanks for the great thoughts.

What a great poem, Amy! I agree that we need more kindness in the world. I've been reading, but today I decided to jump in and write a poem. Something about those speed limits gave me an idea I just couldn't shake.http://www.mentortextswithlynneandrose.com/blogging-with-rose/the-reading-race

Amy,I shared the CD I won earlier with a counselor friend. I will check in with her and see how she's enjoying it. Because I've won before, please omit me from the drawing. I'll send a link to this post to my friend who I'm sure will appreciate your poem about being kinder. Thanks for all you do, Amy.

Reading your post today, I clicked over to make sure my comment had posted and I don't see it. Not sure if you got it, so here I am again. I posted the Barry Lane song for my kids to listen to this week. What a touching song. I'm a fan of violins! We cannot get enough reminders to be kind.

I commented maybe on FB about this! I love your poem. I love this idea and thought we should have it be a law, then realized that might be hard to enforce!! In my classroom I had some procedures, but my "rules" were called "The Three Keys to Success" : Be nice (kind is better), Work hard, Help others (everyone is better) and you needed to do it 24/7. I would look at people who were successful and we showed how you needed all three, really, to be successful and who defines success though, right? Happiness, fulfillment of at least some of your dreams. I hope this poem gets a wide read!!!

Welcome

I'm Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, and I've been sharing poems and lessons here since March 2010. The Poem Farm is a safe place for students to explore poems, and it's a place for teachers to find poetry teaching ideas. I post on Fridays during the school year (every day of April!), and I welcome you to make yourself cozy here among the words.

For El Paso, Dayton, & All Cities Bearing this Burden

Heartbroken

March 2020

I am thrilled that READ! READ! READ! will have a friend book, also illustrated by the talented Ryan O'Rourke and published by Boyds Mills/Kane!

School Visits

I adore visiting schools near and far, joyfully sharing writing in large groups and writing together in small groups. If you wish to learn more about this, please visit my website at the tab above.

Notebook Post!

Please visit my other blog - Sharing Our Notebooks - and peek into the notebooks of Matthew Grundler. Click the image and you will be there.

New Song with Barry Lane

Sometimes, my good friend Barry and I collaborate on a song. We did so this summer, with this poem I wrote in 2016. It is wonderful to have a friend with whom you can share words and music... Click the poem to be taken to the song.

Spring 2018

Spring 2018

A Podcast!

I am so happy to be part of this podcast with the wonderful authors of SHARING BOOKS, TALKING SCIENCE, Valerie Bang-Jensen and Mark Lubkowitz. We had a blast! Click the image to hear it.

Bookmark

Please print if you wish! There are 4 bookmarks per page, and each has room at the top for a hole and yarn. x

Commenting

Nonfiction

Orchard/Scholastic, 2016

First Book

Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013

Co-Author Of

With Lucy Calkins & Stephanie Parsons Heinemann 2013

Need a Poem?

If you are new here, I welcome you! If you seek a poem, click the "Find a Poem" tab above, and it will take you to a page where you can select poems by topic (dogs) or technique (alliteration). This resource is intended for personal or classroom use, and I welcome teachers and students to use these poems in lessons and as mentors. - Amy

My Other Blog

Click the chatting birds to peek into others' notebooks and to find zillions of ideas for your own notebook keeping life.

Follow

Click me to use today's poem!

Listen & Watch

This is a song I wrote with Barry Lane about something parents and teachers know. A child is so much more than a score.